Leg-break victim Bradley nears return for Linlithgow

FORMER Hearts midfielder Mark Bradley has revealed he has never once thought about hanging up his boots despite suffering a horror leg break.

The Linlithgow Rose player was on a high at the start of the season, having earned a new deal at Prestonfield after helping the club win the Emirates Scottish Cup last year.

But his world came crashing down after a tackle in the opening Super League game of the campaign at Tayport towards the end of August put him in hospital.

His recovery has taken longer than expected but Bradley, who was at Hearts during Jim Jefferies' first spell in charge, is hoping to be back training again soon and playing again in a month or so.

"I felt gutted when it happened as I'd worked hard at the end of last season, got my place back in the team, made the Cup Final 11 and got a new deal. I started the season feeling the best I've felt for a while," he said.

"The doctors took away any thought of me giving up the game as they said if I the pin was inserted through my shin my leg would be stronger than before. It was a no brainer for me as retiring was the last thing on my mind; the only thing I need to worry about is everything else that was damaged healing right."

Bradley, who had a spell in charge at Lithgae along with Ian Gallacher and Danny Smith before Dave Baikie took up the reins, added: "The recovery is slow as it takes a minimum of 14 weeks for a break to completely heal.

"Mine is taking a little longer as I had to get back to work and this may have added some time to my recovery but I'm not missing much at the moment.

"The recovery has been good and bad because sometimes I have been doing too much with training and work so the leg has been swelling up but I have been taking it easy over the last few weeks to give it a rest.

"I am determined to get back fit and playing for the team as I'm not ready to pack it in just yet. It has been a long road but I have had so much support from the club, the fans, my work and, most of all, my family who have been great.

"It has been four months since the injury but feels longer. Getting back to work has helped and hindered me at the same time but I needed to get back as I was getting depressed being in the house all day, every day.

"I couldn't sleep either, which made the day even longer. All I'd done for two months was think about the injury and if there was anything I could have done to avoid it happening.

"Time is a great healer but I didn't think that in the hospital. You

don't know if you will ever be able to walk right again, especially after seeing the X-rays. I have a limp just now but it's getting less and less every week."